Transfer deadline day: Should Chelsea spend? Willian and Etienne Capoue could be on their way

It’s often said that you cannot get the same value for money during the January transfer window as you can in the summer and it’s usually a time in which teams will panic buy. But is it too much of a gamble for Chelsea to leave much-needed reinforcements until the summer?

The club were fairly quick to address an immediate issue in terms of striking options and bought in Demba Ba following Daniel Sturridge’s departure to Liverpool. Some are concerned by the lack of activity since then as they believe we’re short in key positions, while others are bemused we approached Birmingham City for Jack Butland because a new goalkeeper is extremely low on the list of priorities.

Rafael Benitez has already commented on the lack of depth in the team and says that he has found it difficult to keep players fresh while remaining competitive but has also said that he doesn’t think there will be any movement before the window slams shut.

Our priority… is a midfielder

I don’t think there will be any arrivals at Stamford Bridge either, especially while Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun’s wages remain on the books, but after throwing away another two points following the 2-2 draw against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Wednesday night, a game in which the Blues were leading 2-0, will the club be forced into action?

Normally Roman Abramovich would swing his axe in order to bring about immediate change but whether you’re with him or against him, Benitez has a very small pool of players to choose from – we’ve used fewer players than anyone in the division and the crammed schedule is already taking its toll.

Our priority, in my opinion, is a midfielder. During the winter we’ve been linked with the likes of Paulinho, Luka Modric and Marouane Fellaini (the Belgian will probably make the switch in the summer) but I think Etienne Capoue represents a good and potentially cheaper option with the added bonus that he’s ready to leave Tolouse.

Another player that we have been linked with for some time is Shakhtar’s Willian and if we were to go for him it’d likely wait until the summer but Anzhi are sniffing around the Brazilian winger and this could provoke us to move if we’re serious about the player.

However, I reckon we will have to make do with what we have until the summer – and this includes Benitez, as Abramovich isn’t going to sack a second manager in one season when there’s no suitable replacement available. We’ll just have to grin and bear it until the summer and hope we at least finish in the top four.

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